When Stars Meet
by Snoring Dragon Productions
Summary: Wander meets new friends all the time. They are different from each other and he LOVES IT! It would be nice to have someone like him around too. When he finds another Star Nomad he can't believe it. He wants to become friends with her! You can't help but want to get to know him too. Being near Wander leads to trouble but it is worth it! #saveWOY *1,000 views picture on Deviant Art*
1. Chapter 1: Star Gazin'

Chapter 1: Star Gazin'

Wander whistled a happy tune as he stared out into the galaxy. His blue eyes eagerly scanned the twinkling abyss, searching for anything out of the ordinary. Almost immediately he noticed some of his favorite constellations and began tracing them with one finger. There was the big dipper, the laughing traveler, and even the running Zbornak. He sighed and dropped his arm when he had finished tracing them all. It hung loosely at his side, swaying from the rocking motion of his friend Sylvia underneath him. He arched his head until he could see the tip of her magenta comb in front of his eyes. It tickled his face and caused him to sneeze loudly.

"AHHHHHHHCHOOOOO!" The force of the sneeze caused him to nearly fall off of Sylvia's back. Quickly he reached out his long limbs and grabbed on to the saddle. Pulling himself up, he scratched where his nose should be.

"You all right Wander?" Sylvia asked with concern. "You haven't really been talking much."

"Oh, I'm fine Sylvia!" Wander said with a big grin. "I was just thinkin' is all. Sometimes ya just gotta lay back and reeeeeeelax!" To emphasize his point, he turned himself around and reclined comfortably on his back.

"I hear you buddy." Sylvia said as she chuckled quietly. The rumble from her chest caused her back to vibrate.

"Hehehehe…" Wander giggled as the vibrations tickled the fur on his back. "Yep. Nothin' like a little star gazin' after a long day."

"Yeah." Sylvia said with a yawn. She stretched her neck out as long as she could before smacking her lips together. "You know what else hits the spot after a long day?"

"I sure do!" Wander said as his grin stretched even further across his face. "A SOOOOOOOONG!" He pulled out his banjo eagerly before strumming an energetic tune. "Oh! Stargazin' with my pal! Stargazin' with my friend! Stargazin' every night! Will the sky ever end?"

"Wander, I didn't mean-" Sylvia tried to interrupt but Wander was soon singing his tune with his face only a few inches away from hers.

"The stars twinkle and shine so bright! Brighter than the moon! Hold on Sylvia, hold on tight 'cause we're joinin' them soon!" He sang with glee. "Dee dee dee dee diddle doo! Dee dee diddle dum! Dee dee dee diddle doo fo fi fiddle fum!"

"WANDER!" Sylvia yelled at the singing nomad.

"Yes Sylvia ol' girl?" Wander asked with a big smile and raised eyebrows. He did not seem to notice the sheer annoyance on his companion's face. Batting his eyelashes, he waited for her to respond.

"I was actually thinking of sleep." Sylvia said with a hint of a smile behind her eyes. "Nice, quiet, non-musical sleep. Do you think you can manage that buddy?"

"Oh sure!" Wander yelled as he leapt off of her back. "I can handle that just fine!" He watched Sylvia curl up into a ball before plopping down on the ground. As he sat on the grass with his legs splayed to the sides, he watched her breathing slow until it was obvious she was dreaming.

The smile slipped from his face when he realized that he wasn't tired at all. Looking around at his surroundings, Wander tried to entertain himself. First he counted the trees, but when he reached eighty he decided to stop. Then he tried to smell the flowers, but after a few minutes of violent sneezing because of his pollen allergies he decided that wasn't the best way to pass the time either. Finally he began scratching the fluff on his chest. His back legs happily began to kick against the ground, causing him to give little giggles of pleasure. It always felt nice to be scratched. Unfortunately Star Nomads were very sturdy creatures and it took a lot of knowledge to be able to get just the right physical reaction from them. Of course he was ticklish and it didn't take much to make him laugh, but if he wanted a nice relaxing scratch that hit all the right points… it was a little more challenging. Wander was able to find the right places to scratch easily, but his best friend Sylvia had once tried for hours with no success. If he wanted to be scratched he had to be the one doing the scratching. When he finished he breathed deeply for a few minutes and waited for the giggles to stop before lifting his big eyes towards the stars. Sighing, Wander flopped down on his back and watched them twinkle.

"Sure would be nice to have someone else to do the scratchin' for a change." He mumbled to himself as his eyes scanned the sky for any more familiar constellations. His chest felt heavier than usual when he realized that he couldn't find any.

Rolling over to his side, he let out another sigh before humming a little tune to himself. "Dum dee da dum... dee dee diddle da dum." Closing his eyes, he tried to remember the lullaby his mom would sing to him when he felt sad. Irritated that it wasn't coming quickly, Wander scrunched his eyes shut tighter. He focused as hard as he could before finally releasing a breath that he had not realized he was holding. It was useless... he couldn't remember.

Sitting up, he hugged his knees close to his chest. Feeing the steady beating of his heart, Wander allowed a small smile to form on his face. "The darkest of times call for the sunniest of smiles Wander." He began giving himself one of his little pep talks, whispering quietly so he wouldn't wake his sleeping companion. "So what if it isn't coming to mind right now... it will. Ya just gotta keep thinkin' positive and soon it will happen. After all, thinking positive has gotcha this far hasn' it?"

Sitting up, he allowed his eyes to roam over to Sylvia. His smile grew as he watched her back rising and falling with each peaceful breath. "Yep. I got a great best friend, not to mention Lord Hater, Commander Peepers and the Watchdogs. All the other folks I haven't even met yet. All of them so unique and different from each other..."His smile faltered for a few seconds before reforming on his furry face. "Yeah... all so different."

He slowly walked over to Sylvia and climbed onto her back. Taking off his hat, he shoved his little body into it and wiggled around until he was comfortable. His eyes stared blankly at the sky for a few more minutes before he closed them. As he drifted off to sleep he mumbled, "Sure would be nice to have someone to scratch my chest..."


	2. Chapter 2: Wander Goes Wandering

Chapter 2: Wander Goes Wandering

Wander stretched his long limbs and yawned as he woke up. The sun was barely peeking over the tops of the hills, giving the landscape around him a golden glow. Smiling, he watched the sunrise for a few minutes before leaping out of his hat and placing it on his head. Wander always liked to rise before the sun did. If he didn't, how would he be able to tell it good morning? Giving his back one last stretch, he leapt off of Sylvia's back and quietly tiptoed away from her sleeping form. He had to cover his mouth with one hand to stop the giggles that threatened to flow forth.

' _Can't believe Sylvia doesn't notice me wake up every single mornin' before she does.'_ Wander thought with glee as he quietly snuck away. The fact that Sylvia thought of herself as one of the most vigilant bodyguards in the galaxy, but never seemed to know when he left, never failed to amuse him. Of course he would never say that to her. She took pride in keeping him safe and wouldn't take any joke about it lightly.

"She does do a swell job when she isn't sleepin' like a rock." Wander said quietly to himself. He liked the sound of voices talking to him, even if the voice was his own. "Can't blame her for not being able to keep an eye on little ol' me all the time."

He quickly scampered over a rock and slid down to the other side. The force of the fall was softened by lush grass. Smiling, he took a moment to thank the grass with a little pat before continuing on his merry way. His shoes left little indents on the squishy ground behind him. Turning his head, he watched his little trail before getting an idea. With a grin that covered nearly his whole face, he began to sprint. His feet made squishing sounds against the ground as he ran, seemingly cheering him on. Energized and wanting to hear more, Wander began to sprint even faster through the grassy meadow. The wind blew through his fur and sent chills down his spine. Giggling from the sensation, Wander continued to run faster and faster. Picking up speed, he made his strides longer so he could cover more ground. Practically flying, his eyes scanned the landscape around him. While it would appear as little more than a blur to others, to a Star Nomad every detail was crystal clear. He could still see the small blades of grass, the rolling hills, even the small bug like creatures that inhabited the ground.

His blue eyes twinkled as he drank in the world he was currently on. Although it was nice to take it slow and spend several hours if not several days on a planet, Wander still enjoyed the feeling of having everything hit his senses all at once. He was reminded of the time he met the elderly tourist who had said she had seen more places than he had. Wander frowned as the memory played itself out in his mind. His pride had been hurt badly that day. No respectable Star Nomad ever saw less of the world than someone else. If she had been a Star Nomad he would have respected her for her traveling prowess, but since she wasn't Wander had simply envied her. He knew that Sylvia couldn't understand how much traveling meant to his kind. She had simply thought he was being competitive, but in reality he was defending who he was.

"I don't blame her for not gettin' it. After all, she's a Zbornak and I'm a…" Wander's voice trailed off. His breathing was getting shallow due to the strain of running to his full potential. It had been a long time since he had shown what he was actually capable of. He still remembered the feeling of seeing all those places so quickly. Wander had embraced his species and experienced it all in a matter of minutes. Using his senses he had honed on every sight, smell, and sound around him. Unfortunately for his best friend Sylvia, she was unable to and had missed out on quite a few amazing places. His heart still wrenched when he thought about how he felt like he knew those incredible planets and she had barely seen them. Since that day, he had sworn that he would take it slow and see things at Sylvia's pace. After all, what fun was experiencing new things if you experienced them alone?

"But this meadow is perfectly fine!" Wander assured himself as he skidded to a stop. "Sylvia and I can walk on it later. 'Sides, she ain't gettin' up anytime soon."

He looked behind him and was pleased to see that he had crossed the entire grassy area in a matter of minutes. Although Sylvia was practically on the other side of the planet, he wasn't worried. It wouldn't take more than a few minutes to get back to her if he ran as fast as he could. Chuckling, Wander wondered what Sylvia would think if she knew that he could easily outrun her… but chose to ride on her instead. His grin widened as he imagined Sylvia thinking it was a big joke. She would scoff and shake her head. Her eyes twinkling with mirth at the thought of her little buddy outrunning her.

"Yep. Sylvia sure doesn't seem to know much 'bout what I can do." Wander voiced his thought out loud again, enjoying the way it rang out across the empty space. "But that isn't her fault. I'm the one who's clamped tighter than a shell."

His eyes wandered towards the sky. The sun had turned it a delicate shade of blue that reminded him of bubblegum. The kind of gum that tingled the taste buds and left the breath fresher than air breathed in the morning. The clouds were a brilliant white and seemed to roll with mounds of fluff. They caused his mind to think of marshmallows. Sweet, fluffy marshmallows floating in a peppermint sky. His mouth watered at the thought of any type of food. Rubbing his grumbling stomach, Wander decided that he should start looking for some grub. If he was getting hungry, Sylvia must be famished. The strong Zbornak ate twice as much as he did and usually more often than he did too.

Heaving himself to his feet, his attention was drawn away from food when he heard a small noise. It sounded like something breaking. Curious and worried, he walked over to where the sound was coming from. He had to push several bushes aside, wincing as the thorns poked at him, before he was finally able to locate the source of the noise. It was a small nest. Created from strands of grass and sticks barely larger than his fingers, it was a humble home. Wander's eyes studied it carefully, looking for any signs of damage. It seemed to be fine. Nestled inside was a small, mother bird with bright blue feathers.

"Pardon me ma'am, but is there any problem I can help you with?" He began politely with his brightest smile plastered on his face. "I heard a troubling sound earlier and wanted to make sure there was nothin' ailing you."

As if on cue, the sound came again. It was coming from underneath the delicate mother bird. Wander's eyes widened with awe as she moved aside, showing him the small, blue egg she had been hiding. It moved from side to side. Delicately swaying as small, thin cracks began to appear on it. Wander couldn't believe his eyes. A new life was entering the world… and he was going to see it. The mother bird gave a happy chirp as pieces of the eggshell began to fall off. Small tufts of fluffy feathers began to stick through the holes. They looked even softer than the marshmallow clouds he had been looking at earlier, but Wander dared not touch them. Smiling, he watched as the small bird finally emerged. She was blue like her mother but had a white underbelly. He could feel his eyes misting over as the two birds hugged for the first time. Wiping his eyes, he took a moment to enjoy the warm feeling in his chest before leaving.

"This is why I wander." He whispered to himself as the liquid drops of joy threatened to fall.

When he finally arrived back to where he had left Sylvia, the sun was almost high in the sky. In his arms he carried bunches of fruit and several nuts that he had found along the way. Smiling, he dropped them at Sylvia's feet and sat down next to her.

"Morning buddy!" She said as she stretched.

"Mornin' buddy!" He replied, grabbing an orange. ' _And this is why I come back.'_


	3. Chapter 3: The Tickets

Chapter 3: The Tickets

"So Wander, where do you want to head to now?" Sylvia asked as she tossed the peel of an orange over her shoulder.

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeell…" Wander said in a high pitched voice. He dragged the well along for several seconds, while raising one eyebrow and smiling in his signature way. Whenever he stressed this word it usually meant that he had done something without telling Sylvia about it.

"Wander… what did you do?" She asked with a hint of concern and annoyance in her voice. It was too early in the morning for her to have to fix one of Wander's messes.

"Don't worry Syl, it's nothin' bad." Wander said with a carefree wave of his hand. "I just wanted to tell ya that I heard about this amazing carnival planet just a few planets over! It has rides and games and food and I bet it'll be a heap of fun!"

"Huh, that does sound like fun." Sylvia said with a relieved smile. "We should definitely go there. But, what was with the face?" She narrowed her eyes and studied Wander before continuing. "You look like you did something buddy… did you?"

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeell…" Wander said again.

"Oh no." Sylvia groaned.

"Don't worry Sylvia. Like I said, it ain't anythin' bad. It's just that the planet tends to get pretty crowded this time of year and you have to pay for a ticket to get in. So, I figured I'd surprise ya with some tickets!" Wander took off his hat, setting it down on the ground carefully before pulling out two, shiny gold tickets. They sparkled in the light as he twisted them around in his hand. "They weren't too much but because we were a little behind the crowd they did cost a bit extra."

"How much extra?" The expression on Wander's face did not calm her nerves.

"Just a… bit." His eyes darted around the planet, focusing on everything but her. "I didn't have enough in my little ol' savings so I um… had to borrow some from you."

"Wander! You took some of my money so you could buy tickets?" Sylvia's eyes widened at the guilty expression on her pal's face. She could feel her temper rising at the thought of her hard earned money, squandered away without her permission. She opened her mouth to start yelling again, ready to tell Wander exactly what she thought, but stopped when she noticed the drops of moisture at the corners of his eyes.

Wander was staring at the ground, refusing to look her in the eye. It was obvious he was trying to keep the tears from falling down. His grin was replaced with a grimace of guilt, it trembled as he spoke quietly. "I'm sorry Syl… I don't know what got into me. I heard about the carnival a little too late I guess. When I tried to get us tickets, he told me it would cost more than usual. I… I wanted to surprise ya but I didn't have enough. I thought that maybe, I don't know, if I used some of your money to get them you wouldn't be as mad at me because you'd be too busy havin' fun." He looked up slowly, eyes shining with tears he refused to shed. "After I did it… I knew I did something wrong. My gutty works felt like they were going to explode, they just kept squirming around. But he didn't do refunds and I couldn't get the money back."

Sylvia's heart snapped at the sight of her carefree buddy so forlorn. Swallowing the harsh words she had been about to say, she placed a comforting hand on his back. "Look buddy, I know sometimes you get excited and can't help yourself… but taking my money without permission is stealing."

"I know." Wander said with a sigh. "I don't know why I did it. I haven't stolen anything before… 'sides my hat of course, but that don't really count much. I promise I'll pay ya back Sylvia. Every single bit of it!"

"I know you will pal." Sylvia said with a roll of her eyes and a smile. It was hard to be mad at someone who was usually never doing anything to get mad about. She could tell that Wander was still berating himself for losing his self-control. His eyes still watered and his mouth was set in a determined straight line. "Until then, we might as well put those tickets to good use, huh?"

In one swift motion she hurled him onto her back and began running. Smiling, Wander wrapped an Orbble bubble around them. Soon they were sprinting through space towards a planet that seemed to glow with hundreds of colorful lights. Music could be heard from it even though they were still quite a few planets away. Wander marveled at how loud it must be on the surface of the planet. His eyes admired the lights for a few minutes before gazing towards the stars that surrounded him and Sylvia. He liked those lights much better.

 _'_ _The planet's lights might be more excitin' but these lights sure are more relaxin'. Always there when I look for them, like billions and billions of friends.'_ Wander thought with a sigh as he reclined on Sylvia's back. She was busy sprinting and wasn't paying much attention to him at the moment. He knew she already had forgiven him for the tickets, but he still hadn't forgiven himself. _'I sure hope she isn't too mad when she finds out why I really wanted to come here. I can't believe I lied to her… I never lie to her or anyone for that matter.'_

His gutty works, as he liked to call them, were still squirming around inside of him. He had a feeling they wouldn't stop until he came clean. But he couldn't tell her until he was certain it was true. Wander didn't want Sylvia to worry about him for no reason. Closing his eyes, he thought back to when he had first found out about the carnival planet. It had been a few planets before the one they were leaving, on a dry planet full of tumbleweeds and rocks.

…..

 _"_ _Now Wander, I'm going to go get us some more Orbble juice. You just stay put okay? I don't like the looks of this place." Sylvia said sternly. She placed both hands on Wander's shoulders so he would be forced to look her in the eyes._

 _Smiling, Wander agreed while trying to wiggle out of her grasp. He was itching to check the nice, little town out. It was amazing! There were rickety buildings that made noise when people walked into them and a well in the center of town where people went to get a drink. Tumbleweeds rolled by constantly and he was certain he had seen a rock shaped like a star somewhere. His eyes grew bigger and bigger as he imagined all the incredible things he had yet to see._

 _Sylvia sighed, she could tell by the look on Wander's face that he was not content to just sit and wait for her. He was going to… wander off somewhere. Deciding that all she could do was get the Orbble juice as quickly as possible, she released him and dashed towards the store._

 _As soon as Sylvia was in the shop, Wander turned around and began to race through the town. His feet were nothing but a blur against the ground as he sprinted from building to building. He knew that Sylvia didn't want him too, but he figured it was just because she was a little jumpy from the landing. Their Orbble had popped unexpectedly, hurling them towards the ground without warning. Wander had been fine, but she still had insisted that she examine him to make sure he was not hurt in any way. Wander had held back his giggles and let her do it. After all, what was the harm in making her feel better? When she had finally been done, Wander had casually noted that they were out of juice and that she should get some more._

 _Wander didn't consider it tricking her. They did need more juice, and Sylvia was the one that was better at getting things. Whenever she sent Wander on a mission he was usually sidetracked by good deeds that were practically screaming for him to do. He shrugged his shoulders at the thought of Sylvia being able to ignore someone with untied shoes or a mat that people kept tripping on. He couldn't do it, but she sure could. He had to admit that her attitude did come in handy when they needed something done quickly._

 _"_ _Sylvia did need to get the juice." Wander said to himself as he examined a large boulder. "If I happen to get a little look see at the town, well… it can only help."_

 _"_ _I don't know who this Sylvia is… but I do have somethin' that can help ya and her." A voice said from behind him. It was deep and gravelly, like whoever was speaking had not drank all day._

 _"_ _What the what now?" Wander said as he spun around quickly. He had not even heard anyone approach, he had been so focused on the boulder. "Oh, hi there stranger! My name is Wander and Sylvia is my very best friend. Who might you be?" He held out his hand for the strange man to shake._

 _The man was small, being only a few inches taller than Wander, and looked as if he was made out of a boulder himself. His grey skin was rough and cracked, small brown hairs stuck out from the top of his head. It was as if he had tumbleweeds growing out of him. Two yellow, beady eyes looked at Wander's hand with disgust before he finally shook it with a large hand of his own. "My name's not important, but if ya have to call me somethin', call me Bud."_

 _"_ _Okay then Bud." Wander said with a large grin, ecstatic at making a new friend. He suppressed the shivers that threatened to go down his spine at the feeling of the hand in his. Bud felt hard and rough, like he was shaking hands with the dry ground. "What was it you were sayin' bout helping me and Sylvia?"_

 _"_ _Well, have ya ever heard of the planet three planets over? It's a carnival planet, full of games and rides and food fer everyone." Bud said as he released Wander's hand. He smiled, revealing his yellow, pointed teeth. "I jus' happen to have a few extra tickets I can sell to ya… that is, if ya have enough."_

 _"_ _Wow! I'd love those tickets!" Wander said with a leap into the air. "That sounds like a great planet! How much?"_

 _"_ _Well…" Bud motioned for Wander to come closer. Leaning in, he whispered an amount into the furry nomad's ear. His grin widened when he saw the smile slip from the orange traveler's face._

 _"_ _I don't have that much, but um…" Wander said with a nervous look towards the store Sylvia had went into. "My pal Sylvia's got a little bit stashed away in my hat."_

 _"_ _Jus' borrow it from her then." Bud said with a low cackle._

 _"_ _I… I guess I could." Wander slowly took off his hat, reaching a hand inside. Wander began to think of Sylvia. She had trusted him with her emergency money because she believed that it would be safest with her best friend. The carnival planet would be fun, but was fun worth losing his friend's trust? His face suddenly hardened, snatching his hand out of the hat, he faced Bud. "No. I won't borrow anythin' from Sylvia without her permission. That isn't even borrowing… why, it's stealing and I refuse to steal! I'm sorry, but you are just going to have to sell those tickets to someone else. Please, have a pleasant day."_

 _Bud's eyes widened as Wander began to walk away. He was sure that he had been about to make a big profit on those tickets. He needed something else to pull the little guy in. Something to peak his interest, something he couldn't ignore. A devious grin formed on his crumbling face. "Ya know, I jus' remembered somethin' I did yesterday. I sold a ticket to someone who looked an awful lot like ya'll."_

 _Wander screeched to a halt. He began to shake nervously, turning around slowly. Wide eyed and mouth agape, he stammered out a question. "L-l-like me?" He didn't like where this conversation was going. His brain screamed for him to run away before he did something he would regret, but his curiosity had always been stronger than his common sense. It forced him to stay and listen to what Bud had to say._

 _Bud casually leaned against a rickety, wooden shack as if he couldn't care less about the conversation. "Yep. Short little gal. 'Bout an inch or so shorter than ya'll in fact. Blonde fur, green eyes, and a pink scarf tied round her neck. She bought a ticket from me and raced off towards the carnival planet."_

 _"_ _Gal?" Wander whispered in awe._

 _Bud's grin widened at the tone of Wander's voice. He had him hooked. "Yep… gal. Real nice gal too. Sweetest voice I've ever heard. Asked if I had ever seen anythin' like her before. Told her no, but I gotta change my answer after seein' ya."_

 _It sounded as if Bud had seen another Star Nomad. Wander looked at the ground in thought. He had never heard someone say they had seen someone like him before. Most people in this galaxy didn't even know what he was. Star Nomads were few and far between. Seeing two in the same galaxy was as rare as seeing two flowers bloom at exactly the same time. If Bud was right… that meant there was a Star Nomad on the carnival planet. His eyes hardened. He had to find her. He had to know._

 _Silently, Wander took off his hat and reached inside._

…..

Wander frowned as the memory ended. _'I had to lie.'_ He tried to convince himself that he had no other choice. _'Sylvia wouldn't like that I bought somethin' from Bud. She thinks the tickets were from some official worker. He might have been, I never thought to ask him. Plus, I don't want Sylvia to know 'bout the other Star Nomad… not yet. Not until I'm sure.'_

Sighing, he turned around and sat upright on Sylvia's back. The truth was, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know either. It would crush his heart to get there only to find out that Bud had been lying to him. Maybe it would be better to not hope so much. That way if it turned out to be a lie, he wouldn't feel as bad. Wander shook his head grimly. He forced himself to hope, because he wanted to feel what it was like to believe there was another Star Nomad out there for as long as he could. He didn't know when, or if he ever would, be able to feel that kind of hope again.


	4. Chapter 4: We Found Him

Chapter 4: We Found Him

The planet was even better than he could have ever imagined. All sorts of interesting people were bustling around him. After only a few minutes, Wander had noticed at least ten different kinds of aliens he had never seen before. His curiosity was screaming for him to race off and see what other wonders the carnival held, but Sylvia had made him promise to stay close. The planet was big and it would be too easy to lose each other in the crowd. Although Wander's heart had sunk, he had solemnly agreed. His insides were still feeling sick from lying, and making Sylvia happy had helped calm them down a little. His blue eyes scanned the crowd eagerly. The description Bud had given him played over and over again in his mind. Like a record on repeat, he was determined not to forget the exact words that were spoken to him.

 _'_ _Blonde fur, green eyes, and a pink scarf tied round her neck.'_ Wander thought with excitement as a blur of blonde passed by. Hopping onto Sylvia's back, he stood on the very tips of his toes in order to see above the sea of people. When he found the blonde hair his smile grew twice its normal size… before shrinking down in disappointment. It was only the wig of a large, alien woman. She was definitely _not_ a Star Nomad.

Plopping down onto the saddle, Wander sighed. This was harder than he had thought it would be. Not counting on the planet being nearly as big as it was, Wander had figured on finding the other Star Nomad within a few minutes. But the planet seemed to endlessly stretch on. Full of countless games and food stands, it was no wonder people liked to come. Someone could visit the planet for days and not see every amazing sight it had to offer. Normally the thought would have sent Wander into a frenzy of excitement, but at that moment there was only one sight he wanted to see.

"Wander, you okay buddy?" Sylvia asked as she stepped away from a lemonade stand. She craned her neck to look at the frowning little alien on her back. Taking a sip from her drink, she gave a sigh of contentment before continuing. "If you're still worried about my money, don't worry about it pal. Just enjoy the carnival. I mean have you seen the size of this place! We could wander around for days and not see it all."

"Yeah… I know." Wander said quietly. Forcing a smile onto his face, he looked his friend in the eye and took hold of the reins. "We better get started then!"

Not noticing the pained look in his eyes, Sylvia smiled and turned her head. She began walking through the crowd, carefully dodging the people blocking her path. It was hard to take a single step without the risk of stepping on someone. Confident that a few games would bring the pep back into her buddy, she quickly headed to the first booth she saw. It was covered in streamers and several colorful balloons. A double headed alien wearing a striped vest smiled at her as she approached. While one head had a huge smile that reminded her of Wander, the other one clearly did not want to be there. He reached out a shook her hand vigorously before speaking.

"Hello there! We are so tickled that you decided to come to our booth!" The smiling face said. His freckles seemed to move around his face as he talked. One of his teeth was missing, causing him to whistle slightly as he spoke.

"Yeah, yeah, sure." The bored head said. He had no freckles, just a single mole on the side of his face. "All you have to do is hit the bottles with the ball."

"Then you win a fantastic prize!" The happy head interjected. He shot an annoyed glance at the other head before looking at Wander. "You look like you could use a prize! Why don't you give it a shot?"

Wander looked at the man in surprise. He had been so absorbed in scanning the crowd, he had not even noticed Sylvia walking towards the booth. Quickly he jumped up and stood on Sylvia, reaching out both hands. Shaking both of the alien's hands just in case shaking one hand only meant shaking with one head, Wander gave a little nod.

"I would love to try and win a prize!" He said with glee as he grabbed a small white ball. In front of him was a pyramid of clear, glass bottles. The pyramid didn't look very stable. Wander was sure he could knock it over easily.

Winding his arm so fast it was merely a blur, he threw the ball straight at the middle of the pyramid. His aim was perfect, as usual, and the air was soon filled with the sound of the bottles falling down. The clinging of glass reminded him of wind chimes and singing birds, that alone was an amazing gift. Wander was about to say that, and let the man no that no prize was necessary, but before he could speak something was shoved into his arms. It felt squishy in his arms, he couldn't help but hug it for a moment. After the hug was finished, he held it away from his body in order to get a better look at it. It was a large, stuffed turtle with a little horn on its nose. Two black, button eyes stared back at him above rosy cheeks. Laughing with joy, Wander gave it another hug.

"Glad you like it!" The happy head said with a wink.

"Yeah." The bored head did not even look at them as he spoke.

Rolling her eyes, Sylvia just gave the alien a smile before walking away. As long as her buddy was happy, she didn't need to teach that uninterested head a lesson. Her chest was full of warmth as she listened to the delighted giggles her companion made. Smiling, she carefully picked her way through the crowd towards a strength testing booth. Wander might be able to knock over bottles, but she could smash a button with a hammer. Cracking her knuckles with anticipation, she quickly stepped around a small blur of yellow that darted in front of her.

"Flaptrasin kids." She muttered as the blur disappeared into the crowd.

…..

Your green eyes widened with awe at the scene around you. There had to be thousands of aliens here. Everywhere you turned there was a new game waiting to be played or a new food waiting to be tried. Feeling your heart pound with excitement, you quickly sped through the crowd. Dodging people and muttering apologies, you kept your eyes focused on the game you wanted to play. It was too easy to get turned around in the crazy sea of a crowd. Quickly, you ducked underneath a Zbornak before it could step on you. Thinking you heard the word kids, you scoffed as you ran. Although you were small, you were far from being a kid. At least… in age.

True you were old, but you were still a kid at heart. Eye wide and mouth gaping, you took in the beautiful sight in front of you. It was a booth completely covered in balloons of varying colors and sizes. The booth was incredibly tall and you had to climb onto the counter in order to see who owned it. Giving a big smile, you offered your hand for them to shake.

A bright pink woman smiled and offered a tentacle. Unfazed, you eagerly took it and gave it a quick shake. "Hi there! My name is _ and I love what you've done with your booth!"

"Thank you so much dearie!" The kind woman said. Her voice reminded you of a kind grandmother you knew in another galaxy.

Making sure to keep the smile on your face, you forced the memory out of your head and focused on the game instead. "So, what do I have to do to win a prize?"

"All you have to do, is throw a dart and pop one balloon. If you do that, I'll give you a teddy bear!" The woman said as she handed you a dart. It got stuck on one of the suction cups on her tentacle, causing you to have to pry it off. Blushing with embarrassment, the lady just motioned behind her towards several balloons.

"Okey dokey!" You said with a small hop. Closing one eye, you stick your tongue out and tried to aim at a blue one.

"Hey, do you see that?" A voice said behind you. It was definitely male.

"Yeah! Small, furry, and thin. Do you think that's what they were talking about?" Another voice answered the other one. This voice was slightly higher pitched, but still noticeably male.

"Definitely. We should give it to Lord Hater!" The first voice replied. It sounded like they were closer.

Turning around quickly you barely noticed the dart leave your hand. An audible pop came from behind you, followed by the woman handing you a small bear. It was the color of honey and wore a bright pink bow. Smiling, you realized that it looked like you. The moment was interrupted by two hands roughly grabbing you and dragging you away. You wiggled in an effort to escape, but the gloved hands were too strong. Another pair joined them and helped drag you through the crowd. Wide eyed, you examined your captors. They were small, the same height as you and looked like walking eyeballs. You noticed that they were wearing matching outfits. It looked kind of like a uniform. Swallowing the fear rising up in your throat, you tried to talk to them.

"Um… what are you doing?" Your voice squeaked near the end of the question, showing the fear you were trying to hide.

"Taking you to Lord Hater of course!" The deep voiced one answered as he pushed a small alien out of the way.

Your mind raced as you tried to comprehend what was happening. One minute you were winning a honey bear, which was still in your hand, the next you were being dragged to someone named Lord Hater. The grassy ground caught on your shoes and caused you to slow them down, but only a little. Pressing your feet into the soft grass, you struggled harder. Shaking your head and waving your arms, you hoped that someone in the crowd would notice and help you. The two guys tightened their grips on your arms, causing them to ache slightly. Biting your lip, your light green eyes looked around frantically. No one in the crowd seemed to care about what was happening to you. They were all too focused on the amazing sights and sounds of the carnival. It was ironic. All those aliens around you, but it seemed like you were alone. Finally giving up, you went limp and gave a sigh of defeat.

'I'm just going to have to wait for my chance to escape on my own.' You thought as you began walking along with them instead of fighting against them.

"Sir! We found him! We found Wander!" One of the eyeballs holding you cried out with pride.

"Wander?" You repeated with confusion as you looked at the eye that had spoken.

"WANDER!" A loud voice rang out from in front of you. Looming over you was a tall skeleton with lightning bolt shaped horns. He wore a black and red cloak with a hood that draped his face in shadow. From inside the depths of the hood you could see two bright green eyes. His eyes were not focused on you, but you could still feel the hatred radiating off of them. Slowly he looked down at you. The sinister smile slipped from his face when he finally saw you. It was replaced by a mixture of confusion, disappointment, and anger.

"Hi?" You said awkwardly with a wave of your hand.

"YOU IDIOTS!" Is all he yelled in return.


	5. Chapter 5: Lord Hater

Chapter 5: Lord Hater

You quickly lowered your hand and looked at the eyeballs holding you. They were trembling and had lessened their grip on you considerably. You could easily have broken free, but curiosity forced you to stay. Lord Hater was not happy with them at all and you were dying to know why. Silently, you looked back at the fuming skeleton. His eyes had a crazed look in them. They were two beads of red in a sea of electric green. You had to stop the grin that threatened to form on your face when you realized that they reminded you of olives.

Green electricity sparked from his gloved hands, filling the air with crackling sounds. He seemed prepared to shock the two aliens holding you at any moment. It caused you some concern because you doubted he would spare you if he did decide to start electrocuting people. Shuffling your feet from side to side, you began to question whether or not you should run. Your thoughts were interrupted when he began to talk.

Breathing deeply and piercing the small eyeballs with his gaze, Lord Hater spoke loudly. "That is not Wander! Look at it! Does it look anything like Wander?"

One of the eyeballs turned to you and studied you for a few seconds. His red eye scanned your entire body, from your face to the pink and blue shoes you wore. It caused a bashful blush to tint your pale yellow face. "Um… yeah." He replied in his deep voice.

"George's right." The other eyeball said with a confused look at Lord Hater. "He's small, furry, and thin. So… he's Wander right?"

"Thanks Tim." George said with a grateful look. You could tell that Lord Hater's glare was making him uncomfortable.

Giving all three of the aliens an apologetic smile, you decided that it would be a good time for you to clear up the misunderstanding. Obviously they had mistaken you for someone named Wander. All you had to do was let them know that you weren't. Then the scary skeleton and his eyeball workers could let you go… hopefully.

You cleared your throat so they would know you were about to talk. Lord Hater looked at you with surprise. His jaw was open and his hands were consumed by the crackling green electricity. It seemed like he had been about to begin another rant. Giving him a bigger apologetic smile, you spoke anyway. "Um… hello everyone. I'm sorry to inform you that I am not Wander. My name is _. Also, I'm a girl, so…"

Everyone was staring at you with shock. Their gazes drilled into you like lasers and caused beads of sweat to roll down your forehead. Wanting to redirect their attention as quickly as possible, you began to rock back and forth. "I should probably leave now."

"Uh…" Tim said uncertainly. He looked at Lord Hater for conformation.

"YOU HEARD HER! LET HER GO YOU IMBECILES AND GO FIND THE REAL WANDER!" Lord Hater yelled as he shot lightning into the air. His voice carried across the entire carnival planet, clearly heard above the noise of the crowd. Not many aliens took notice however, and continued their business as if nothing had happened.

George and Tim quickly let go of you and ran to stand next to Lord Hater. You rubbed your arms uncomfortably, they still ached. Backing away slowly, you kept your eyes on Lord Hater's hands just in case he still wanted to zap something. Before you were able to take even a couple of steps away, another alien arrived. He was an eyeball like the others but his uniform had a helmet with an extremely large lightning bolt. Assuming he was someone important, you gave him a quick nod before backing up again.

"Sir! Where have you been? I've been looking all over this cursed planet for you!" He whined while glaring at the imposing skeleton. He seemed to have no fear at all and reminded you of a father scolding a child. "I hope you weren't looking for that wandering weirdo again!"

"What! No!" Lord Hater lied as the electricity in his hands died down. "I was just telling George and Tim to stop being such babies and come to the ship! I totally did not order them to go and look for Wander… so stop bothering me Peepers!"

"Uh huh…" Peepers said with an eye roll. It was obvious that Lord Hater had been looking for Wander before. Your curiosity spiked again.

'Who is Wander? Why does Lord Hater want him so much?' You thought as you stepped backwards. A slippery hotdog that someone abandoned on the ground caught under your shoe, causing you to fall to the ground. Your teddy bear flew out of you hand and landed in a pile of ketchup on the ground.

"What was that?" Peepers asked as he heard the sound of your collision with the ground. He turned away from Lord Hater and jumped backwards when he noticed you. His iris grew smaller as he looked at you struggle to stand up. Breathing heavily, he wondered whether or not he was seeing things. Surely this was a trick. There couldn't possibly be two. Swallowing a lump the size of a spaceship, he pulled out his blaster and aimed it right at you.

Your eyes widened at the sight of the weapon. Slowly standing up, you wiped the ketchup smears from your stomach. Not letting the weapon leave your sight, you stood quietly and waited to see what would happen next. There was no way you could leave now. All you could do was stay quiet and hope someone would clarify things. In the back of your mind you scolded yourself for letting your curiosity make you stay so long.

"Sir. Do you know what you have done?" Peepers said quickly.

"I keep telling you Peepers, I didn't do anything! It was all George and Tim's fault!" Lord Hater said angrily. He threw his arms up in the air with exasperation before looking at Peepers with confusion. "Uh… what is happening?"

"This is a Star Nomad." Peepers said as he walked towards you. The blaster did not leave your face until he had both your arms behind your back. The sound of handcuffs clicking filled your ears along with cold metal enveloping your hands.

"I knew it was a Wander!" George said as he high fived Tim.

"Not a Wander. A Star Nomad." Peepers said with a sigh. Shoving you roughly, he forced you back towards George and Tim. "Hold onto her."

You sighed as they each grabbed onto your shoulders. Their grips were even tighter than before, causing you discomfort. Wincing, you whispered to them. "Um… could you not hold on so hard? It kind of hurts."

"Oh sure." Tim said as he loosened his grip. George quickly followed suit.

You smiled as the pressure was released, but you still couldn't leave. Narrowing your eyes, you studied Lord Hater and Peepers. Lord Hater didn't seem to really want you. He was busy arguing with Peepers over why they needed to take you prisoner anyway. The tall skeleton seemed to only care about capturing Wander. He crossed his arms and pouted like a child as Peepers droned on and on over the advantages of having a Star Nomad on board. Obviously not reaching Lord Hater with his current argument, Peepers leaned forward and whispered something to Lord Hater.

You leaned forward slightly to try and hear what was being said. Straining as much as you could, you only caught a couple of words. Catch… bait… Wander.

"That's a brilliant idea!" Lord Hater exclaimed when Peepers finished whispering. He walked over to you slowly and leaned forward so his face was directly in front of yours. His green eyes glared at you cruelly, causing you to lose the ability to speak. He no longer reminded you of a child. Instead he made you think of a predator looking at his prey. You were soon shaking from fear as his eyes stayed riveted on yours. Grinning with pleasure at the sight of you trembling, he spoke quietly so only you could hear him.

"You are going to help me catch my greatest enemy… or die trying." He cackled darkly when he finished speaking.

Your throat felt like it was made of sandpaper. Swallowing your fear, you tried to speak confidently but only managed to croak out a whimper. Closing your eyes so you would not have to see those glowing, green ones, you tried again. "H-h-how am I going to do that?"

"Easy. Just ask for help." Lord Hater replied as he stood back up to his full height.

You opened your eyes slowly to make sure he was gone. When you were certain his face was far away from yours you looked up at him. He glared down at you like you were nothing more than an insect in his path. At that moment, you felt as helpless as an insect. Ignoring the beating of your heart, you thought about your options.

'Just ask for help? That sounds easy but… what if this Wander does come?' You bit your lip in thought. 'Lord Hater doesn't seem like the kind of person I should be helping. Wander must be good if he wants to capture him so much.'

Even though fear made you want to give into his demands instantly, you forced yourself to calm down. Tears pooled at the edges of your grass colored eyes. There was no way you traveled across the galaxy, getting out of all kinds of problems just to listen to some crazed skeleton. If he wanted Wander, he would have to do it himself. Your curiosity had caused you to get into this mess. It was your job to get out of it… not Wander's. Taking a deep breath, you glared at Lord Hater. Squaring your shoulders, you readied yourself for the shock of a lightning bolt. "I won't do it."  
"What!" Peepers yelled with rage and shock.

Ignoring him, you kept your eyes locked with Lord Hater's. Green eyes stared at green eyes as both refused to look away. You vaguely noticed his hands beginning to shine with unused electricity. The air began to crackle between you two, causing your fur to tingle with anticipation. Your chest rose and fell quickly as your breathing became shallow. It was going to happen any minute. Telling yourself that it would be okay, you tried to remain calm. You had been in worse situations than this and had always found a way to get out of it. Sometimes you had to get through a bad time to reach a good one. Once he was done zapping you, maybe George and Tim would be shocked too. They would let go and you could run away. Somehow you were going to escape without giving away Wander. A small smile reached your face as you realized you were endangering yourself for someone you had never even met. Deep in your heart, you had a feeling he would do the same thing.

"Not so fast Hater!" A voice called out from behind you.

"Don't worry miss! We're comin' for ya!" Another one called out.

You whipped your head around with surprise, finally breaking the staring contest between you and Lord Hater. The Zbornak you had dodged earlier was running straight for you and the others. She was moving too fast for you to get a good look at the alien on her back. All you could make out was a bright green hat.


	6. Chapter 6: This Is Amazing!

Note: This fanfiction has received over 1,000 views! Woo hoo! Thank you to everyone who likes my story. To celebrate I made a picture of reader and decided to put it on my Deviant Art account. My Deviant Art account is called SnoringDragonProd

Chapter 6: This Is Amazing!

George and Tim quickly let go of you once they saw who was coming. Gripped with panic, they ran around in circles. It was obvious that they no longer cared about holding on to you. A smile of relief formed on your face as you watched them scurry. It soon disappeared when you realized that they wouldn't be reacting like that unless that Zbornak was trouble. Someone who could bring pure terror had to be someone you were better off not knowing. Maybe it would be better if you ran away too.

'But the voice said that they were coming to help.' You thought as your green eyes continued to watch the poor, scrambling eyeballs. Peepers had grabbed onto a struggling Tim and was attempting to calm George down. 'The Zbornak doesn't seem to like Lord Hater very much either. She called him Hater… sure is a lot easier to say than Lord Hater.'

You risked looking away from Peepers in order to see how Hater was handling the situation. His green eyes were turning red with rage as his gaze focused on the intruders. Lightning crackled on his hands dangerously. Your gut told you that he was about to start firing very soon. Not wanting to be anywhere near the crossfire, you quickly backed away. Your head turned just in time to notice that the path the Zbornak was running in would lead her straight to you. She was coming fast and would be practically on top of you in a few seconds. Knowing that you did not want to be in her way, you threw yourself onto the ground and covered your head.

The ground shook with the force of her pounding feet. Gritting your teeth and shutting your eyes, you tried to stay as still as possible. A cold breeze quickly drifted over you. You guessed that it was caused by her jumping over you but you couldn't be sure. Not wanting to risk being flattened, you stayed on the ground. You could feel your heart pound with fear as the sounds of electricity surrounded you. Hater must have started firing. Grunts and growls filled the air. Faintly you heard shouting, but you couldn't make out what they were saying. Your senses were more focused on the lightning, punches, and chaos. Dust tickled your nose and made your eyes water. The battle must have been the cause of the dust cloud that threatened to suffocate you. Without warning, something warm touched your back.

Your eyes snapped open. Turning around onto your back, you gazed up at the newcomer with fear. The dirty, dust cloud was surrounding you, blocking your view of the raging battle between the Zbornak and Hater's minions. It also blocked your view of whoever had touched you. You coughed, trying to breathe through the thick particles in the air. Every breath caused you to suck in more and more of the foul air. Gritty dirt scraped your throat as it went down. Eyes watering and throat stinging, you laid on the ground and waited for the silhouette to make a move.

"I better get you away from all this nasty air." It spoke. The sound of the voice told you that it was actually a he.

Your eyes widened as you recognized the voice. He was the one that had called out to you on the back of the Zbornak. You tried to respond, but were wracked with another bout of coughing before you could speak.

He quickly helped you onto your feet and grabbed one of your hands. His hand was soft and warm. You could feel the small hairs on your hand mingle with his as he led you away from the fighting. Whatever he was, he was furry like you. You began to get irritated with the tears still in your eyes. Although the dust was gone, the tears still kept your vision blurred. Desperately you used your free hand to wipe at your eyes. Because your eyes were closed, it was up to the stranger to carefully guide you to safety. He seemed to take the responsibility very seriously and kept a firm grip on your hand the entire time. You could hear him talking softly to you as he walked, guiding you with his voice. You strained to hear him over the sound of the fighting.

"Forward… left turn… step over the rock…" His voice sounded like it was coming from far away. The warmth in your hand reassured you that he was right in front of you the whole time.

After a few minutes, you finally were able to stop. You felt your back brush against a tent. Leaning against it, you rubbed the last bits of dirt out of your eyes. When the world was once again clear, you turned your head towards your rescuer. His back was facing you as he looked at the fighting. Frowning, you tried to gather whatever information you could just from looking at the back of him. He was a bright orange that reminded you of orange juice. You held back a giggle at the thought. His big, green hat was flopping in front of your face. Carefully, you reached out a finger and poked it gently. It made a small dent, but once you moved your finger away the dent disappeared. Smiling, you looked down and admired his bright, blue shoes and striped socks.

'If only I could see his face…' You thought as you were distracted by a bright rock on the ground. It seemed to sparkle in the light. Reaching down, you tried to pick it up but was surprised by the sound of a voice.

"You okay miss?"

"Ahhhhhhhh!" You screamed as you quickly sprung up. Something hard hit the top of your head, sending a jolt of pain down your spine. You began to furiously rub at the pounding, pain. "Ow ow ow ow…"

"Ouch!" The voice called out.

You risked lifting your aching head slowly. Your eyes widened as you saw the orange alien rubbing his face with his hands. That explained what you hit. Swallowing a lump in your throat, you chastised yourself for getting distracted by a rock. "I am so sorry! I was looking at a rock and I thought… well, it doesn't matter. Are you okay?" You stammered out as you took a step forward.

"Don't worry 'bout it! I'm fine! Just a little bump on my noggin' that's all." He replied with a final rub of his face. Even with his hands covering it, you could still see his wide smile.

"Thank grop." You said as your heart calmed down. It felt like it was pounding a million light years a minute. "I was worried that I…" You trailed off as his hands left his face. Mouth agape and eyes wide with disbelief, you couldn't seem to talk. Your brain raced in circles as it tried to figure out what was standing right in front of you. It couldn't be… It wasn't… Was it?

"I can't believe it…" He said as he focused on your face. His big, blue eyes eagerly began scanning you. Smile growing bigger and bigger, he began to emit a high pitched squeal. "This is amazing! I can't believe I found you!"

"Found me?" You asked when you finally found the ability to speak again. You let out a high pitched squeal of surprise when you suddenly found yourself surrounded by orange arms. He suddenly scooped you up in a hug. Squishing you against himself, he continued to squeal. You tried to breathe as the hug got tighter and tighter. With him so close you realized that he smelled like grass and… space. You couldn't think of any other word to describe the aroma that was surrounding you. It was cold but warm, fresh and alive. He smelled like space.

'He smells like space…' You thought as you struggled to get out of his grip. 'What am I thinking? I have to get out of this hug!'

Cursing yourself for getting sidetracked, yet again, you began pushing against him. With one final shove, you were able to break free. Breathing in deeply, you relished the feeling of air entering your lungs again. It was cold and fresh, like ice cream and ice cubes. Finally, you were able to speak again. Focusing back on the strange alien, you gave him a small smile. "My name is _."

"Hiya _! Folks call me Wander! The Zbornak fightin' the Watchdogs is called Sylvia and she's my best friend. Sorry 'bout the hug. I was just so excited to find ya! I never thought I'd be able to with the size of this planet and all." Wander replied with a tip of his hat.

"What do you mean find me?" You asked with a raised eyebrow. You had no idea there was going to be another Star Nomad when you came to the planet. How could Wander know about you?

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeell…" Wander began with a half lidded smile.


	7. Chapter 7: First Impressions

Oh my grop... it has been such a long time since I've written anything! But I am going to try to write more often because I was reading through this story and remembered how much I LOVE writing it! :D I am so sorry for being away for so long. I drew a brand new picture of Star Nomad Reader and I hope it makes you all happy! You can find it on my Deviant Art page. My Deviant Art username is SnoringDragonProd

Chapter 7: First Impressions

Wander tried to contain his excitement after almost squishing his new friend with a hug. He managed to keep the high-pitched squeal from rising, but could not stop himself from rocking back and forth on his feet. Movement helped calm him down and at that moment, he had the feeling rocking back and forth was all the movement he could risk doing. _ was a skittish one. He could tell she was on alert from the way her eyes kept darting away from his to examine her surroundings. One minute she would be intently looking at him, the next she would be examining a tent far off in the distance. Wander tried not to let it get his spirits down. After all, he had finally met another Star Nomad!

After thousands of years, he had begun to think he might be the very last one. It was a ridiculous thought, even Wander knew that. Star Nomads were few and far between; it wasn't that shocking to have never seen one before. But as the years had dragged by… Wander had almost lost all hope. Now that he was talking to one, he realized how scared he had been. His heart was fluttering like a bird as he spoke to the small female. Joy seemed to fill him all the way from the tips of his shoes to the tip of his hat. Wander's smile stayed constant on his face as he talked, explaining about Bud and how he had gotten the tickets. _ seemed to remember Bud because her eyes snapped back to his once Wander mentioned the name. Relief flooded through Wander. Bud hadn't been lying to him after all, he had made a friend. Wander just hoped that he could make another friend before leaving the carnival planet.

Because he was constantly singing, playing the banjo, and dodging Lord Hater's lightning bolts... Wander was a great multi-tasker. He was able to be doing something while his mind was somewhere else entirely. Star Nomads were already known to be good at using their senses, such as sight and hearing, but it did not nearly equate to what Wander was capable of with just his mouth and his mind. While he explained his entire experience on the carnival planet, right down to winning the stuffed turtle, he was studying _. His blue eyes were sparkling with excitement as he thought about what he saw.

'This is so amazing!' Wander thought as he talked about Sylvia winning the giant hammer game. 'Another Star Nomad… just like me! Not exactly though, she is a girl for one. Bud wasn't kiddin' when he said she was shorter than me. She's at least a couple inches shorter than me, even without my hat!'

Wander's smile grew. She was looking away from him again, but he could tell she was still listening. A laugh started tugging at the corners of her mouth when he talked about how he had almost knocked over a tent trying to catch a balloon that was floating away. Wander had to hold back laughter too. He cleared his throat and continued telling his story after a few seconds of snickering.

'Her fur is yellow like Bud said… but he didn't mention what an interestin' shade it is! Not bold or bright, more like the yellow of a pale flower. One that was growin' in a shadow for a lil' bit before it felt the sun. Her eyes are strange too… they remind me a bit of the squishy grass back at that other planet.' Wander mused as he neared the end of his story. Her liked the way her hair looked bouncy, like clouds that fell slightly past her shoulders. The bouncy curls were held back by a light blue headband, dotted with light pink spots. The head band matched her shoes, which had tiny pink twinkling dots on the toes. The pink dots were the same color as the pink scarf that was tied snuggly on her neck. Wander raised his eyes from her scarf back up to her eyes and noticed that she had two long eyelashes on the top of each eye, along with three smaller ones near the bottom of each eye. His observations were quickly interrupted. He could hear footsteps coming from behind him. Sylvia must had finished fighting off Hater and the watchdogs. Quickly, Wander finished his story so he would be able to introduce _ to Sylvia when she arrived.

"Wander! You wouldn't believe how easy that was! It was dustier than I thought it would be though. Going to be brushing dust out of my hair for days, huh pal?" Sylvia said as she looked behind the tent she had saw Wander race to. It was too dusty for her to see more than a blurred silhouette, but the shape of his hat had let her know it was him.

"Hiya Syl!" Wander said with a grin and a wave of one hand. His other hand was holding the hand of a small, pale yellow alien. "I want ya to meet _!"

Sylvia narrowed her eyes as she studied the small alien in front of her. Now that she was getting a better look at her, she recognized her as who they had just saved. There was no mistaking the yellow fur and bright pink scarf she wore around her neck. "Hi. Name's Sylvia, you already met Wander. So… you okay? Those eyeballs didn't hurt you or anything?"

You looked up at her in awe. She was much taller than you and made you feel dwarfed by comparison. This time you did not feel helpless like a bug however, instead you just felt small. There was no malice in her eyes when she looked at you, so you took a deep breath and answered in a cheerful voice. "No, they didn't really hurt me. Hater…" The name felt weird on your tongue. "was about to but you guys stopped him. Thanks."

"No problem _!" Wander replied without releasing your hand.

'Her voice is so sweet! Reminds me of honey and buttercups.' Wander thought as he listened to you speak.

"I didn't think anyone was going to help me. Everyone just seemed to ignore what was happening." You said with a sideways glance at your hand. You noticed that Wander's orange fingers were still intertwined with yours. His hand was soft and warm. Dully, you noticed heat rising to your face. Positive that you were blushing a shade of light pink, you quickly let go of his hand. To your relief, Wander also unlocked his fingers and placed his hand back at his side.

Sylvia watched this exchange with a raised eyebrow. She did not like what was happening. It was obvious that you were a Star Nomad and she wasn't sure how to feel about that. Sometimes at night she would hear Wander murmuring to himself about how he wondered if there were any other Star Nomads out there in the galaxy. It made her eyes water and her heart pound whenever she heard his distressed tone. All she wanted was for him to find another Star Nomad, just so he would know that he was not completely alone. But now that it had happened… she wasn't sure if it was a good thing. Wander was already overly friendly towards strangers. Not everyone was a potential friend but he did not seem to understand that. Sylvia was the one that had to decide whether other aliens were safe to interact with or not, something about you rubbed her the wrong way. Maybe it was the way your eyes kept wandering around like you were looking for something, or the way you had reacted when Wander had held your hand, or maybe it was the way Wander kept grinning at you.

'We don't know anything about her.' Sylvia thought as she stepped closer to Wander. 'Wander is already too trusting. He is going to be even more trusting towards her just because she is a Star Nomad. If she is bad news, there is no way Wander will ever notice or even care. Better to just steer clear. He knows he is not the last one, now he can be happy and we can go check out other planets.'

"Okay buddy, we should probably get off this rock." Sylvia said as she scooped Wander into her arms and carefully placed him on her saddle.

"Righto Syl!" Wander replied cheerfully. "Hey, _ wanna come?"

"What…" You said with a quick turn of your head. Your grassy eyes widened at the offer. Breathing heavily, you stood still for a few minutes while you thought. Your brain and heart were pulling in two different directions. Like ropes tied around you, they pulled and stretched you painfully. "I… um…"

"You don't have to be scared. We're your friends!" Wander said as he hugged Sylvia's head. "Right Sylvia?"

"Look buddy, I don't know about this. You can't just ask a random stranger to travel with us. We don't know anything about her." Sylvia whispered to Wander in an urgent tone. Her eyes locked onto his as she spoke.

"But we do know some things. We know her name, we know she likes carnivals, we know…" Wander whispered back pleadingly. His blue eyes grew misty when he saw the resolve in her eyes.

"That she is a Star Nomad?" Sylvia said firmly. "Look, buddy. You found another one and I am happy for you but I don't think you are thinking clearly. Trust me… you won't be safe is she is fogging your brain. Maybe if we see her again and you're past all this shock. Just… not now."

"It's okay. I don't want to come." You said loudly as you tried to get their attention. Even though they were whispering, it was obvious that they were talking about you. You forced your eyes to stay locked on Sylvia. It was too risky to look at Wander.

"You don't have to be afraid." Wander said as he leaned forward towards you. "I noticed that you were a little fidgety while I was tellin' my story."

"I'm not scared." You said while still looking at Sylvia.

'How can I explain that I wasn't scared when he was talking?' You think with embarrassment. 'I can't just tell him that while I was listening to him I noticed a cool bug crawl by, or a tent with rainbow stripes, or a flower that reminded me of his hat. What would they think? Then they'd know what an easily distracted mess I am.'

"I just don't want to." You said again. Quickly, you turned around and began to run away. "Thank you for helping me!"

"_! Wait!" You heard Wander calling after you but you didn't stop.

Instead you forced your legs to run faster and faster. You had to get away from them. You had to get away from _him_. It was a bad idea to travel with them. It was a bad idea to travel with anyone. You knew it was better to just explore planets and galaxies on your own. What was the difference anyway? Either way you got to see new things, so it shouldn't matter if you saw them alone. That was what you kept telling yourself as you ran away from the only Star Nomad you had ever met.


	8. Chapter 8: The Explanation

Chapter 8: The Explanation

Hello everyone! It has been way too long since I've updated this story. I apologize to everyone who has been waiting. :) Because I am busy with other hobbies, college, and real life obligations, I don't know how often I'll be updating this story. Of course, I still want to write it, but I am not going to be promising any specific dates for new chapters because I do not want to disappoint anyone if I miss the deadlines. I hope you all enjoy this long overdue chapter and have a wonderful day!

...

Wander's hand dropped limply to his side. He had automatically reached for you once you started to run away. But he was too late and you were too fast. Sighing, he slid off Sylvia's back and landed onto the ground with a thud. After all these years, he had finally met another Star Nomad. He felt like he should be happy… After all, not only had he meet another person like him, they had been _nice_. _ had been a good listener too. He had hoped that he could keep telling her stories while they traveled together. The curious Nomad had been dying to hear some of her's as well. When your species was known for traveling throughout different galaxies, it was easy to assume that you must have at least a few interesting tales to tell. Wander liked hearing stories. He had a feeling that _ liked hearing them too. Meeting someone amazing like that should have made him happy, but he wasn't. He didn't want to just know there was another Star Nomad out there. He wanted to _know_ the other Star Nomad. He wanted to talk with her. What did they have in common? He wondered dully if she liked to sing. He wasn't sure if singing was a Star Nomad trait, or just something that made him different.

His hat flopped over his face as he sighed deeply, looking as depressed as he felt. The shadow above him moved slightly, showing that Sylvia had craned her neck so she could look at him. Wander knew that his friend wouldn't like seeing him so upset, especially since she would assume that she was the one who had upset him. But he was too glum to even attempt to fake a smile. Just as he had suspected, Sylvia let out a sigh of her own. Her sigh was long and deep, a guilty yet slightly aggravated sigh. She didn't regret what she had done, but she did know that she had some explaining to do.

"Look buddy… I know you're upset but she couldn't travel with us." The Zbornak said as she carefully lifted Wander's hat out of his face. Her neck was craned, allowing her to look into his gloomy eyes. "Having her with us wouldn't have been good for anybody."

Wander gazed into his best friend's eyes and tried to keep his from watering. Lip and voice trembling, he said, "Syl, how could havin' a new friend not be a good thing?" He slowly stood up and straightened his hat. Despite his attempts to perk it back up, it still drooped slightly. "We could have shared stories, sang songs, had picnics… Three heads are better than two, right?" He finally attempted to smile, but it looked forced and the beads of moisture in his eyes showed his distress.

Beginning to look worried, Sylvia placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Her voice was serious as she tried to explain. "Wander… You're a good guy. You always see the best in folks and try to befriend everyone you meet. It's like your thing. But sometimes you just have to steer clear of people." Removing her hand and scratching the back of her neck awkwardly, the Zbornak tried to find a way to voice her concerns without accidentally insulting her friend. "No offense pal, but sometimes you don't notice when other people are bad news. We don't know anything about _. What if she is trouble? You might be even _less_ likely to notice because you're too excited about her being a Star Nomad." She waved her hands and smiled warmly at Wander. "I'm not saying you would do it on purpose. But I saw the way you were looking at her. We might have ended up in another Little Bits fiasco. Remember Little Bits?"

"Yeah… I remember." Wander admitted while looking away and rubbing his arm. He supposed that Sylvia did have a point. But he still didn't think _ could be trouble. She had seemed so nice. How could someone as cute as her possibly be a bad person? But the little kitten had seemed nice and she had been adorable as well. Little Bits had caused quite a few problems for the travelers. 'Maybe Sylvia's right… Maybe my mind is all fogged up right now.' He thought as he looked back at his friend. After all, he was already trying to find excuses for why _ could travel with them. Perhaps it is better for everyone if he stayed away from you. At least until he can admit that there is a sliver of a chance she might not be as nice as he thinks she is. The dejected Nomad scuffed his foot against the hard ground and sighed. The sigh was deep and moved his entire body, showing that he had accepted what Sylvia had done… But he still wasn't one hundred percent okay with it.

Satisfied with him at least accepting it, Sylvia turned her head away from Wander and motioned to the saddle on her back. She was sure that he would begin to agree with her eventually. He just needed some time to think about it some more. Until then, his optimistic attitude was sure to help him perk up at least a little. "C'mon buddy. Let's get off this planet before Bonehead and the watchdogs try to catch us again."

Wander walked a few feet away from Sylvia, looking over his shoulder to make sure she wasn't looking at what he was doing. "Aw Syl… You shouldn't call Hatey-Bo-Batey a bonehead." He said in a slightly scolding tone. Although Hater did not consider Wander a buddy, the friendly Nomad still considered him one. Because of that, he didn't think it was right to call him names. Few things strained a friendship worse than having two friends who didn't like each other. Of course, Wander was more than willing to try and get the two to get along. It would just take some time and a little bit of gentle nudging. "You wouldn't like it if he called you names, would you?"

"Hater tries to destroy me at least six times a week. Him calling me names is the least of my worries." Sylvia replied with a roll of her eyes. Her smile was amused as she thought about the countless times Wander has defended Hater's name. No matter what the electrical skeleton does to him, he always views Hater as a close friend. Probably one of his closest friends… The Zbornak chuckled, still looking away from Wander. "You coming buddy?"

Quickly, Wander grabbed the object he had been heading towards and shoved it into his hat. Racing back to Sylvia before she could notice, he jumped onto her back and positioned himself comfortably on the saddle. "Yep! All ready to go!" He forced his voice to be overly chipper, hoping that Sylvia would think he was already feeling better about staying away from _. Truthfully, he was still feeling upset about it… but he didn't want her to worry about him. Just because he was feeling down didn't mean that his friend had to be in a bad mood as well. Besides, maybe making her happy would help his attitude rise from the dumps and back into the sunshine filled sky where it belonged. Excitedly motioning towards the sky, Wander decided that even if it didn't improve his mood, an optimistic attitude couldn't possibly make it any worse. "Let's see where the stars take us next!"

Maybe the stars will be kind enough to take them back to a certain Star Nomad…


End file.
